If I remember correctly, hardly any starters saw action in last year's preseason finale. I remember last year Barry Gardner tore his ACL in this game, I really wanted to see what that guy could've done on the team.

If I remember correctly, hardly any starters saw action in last year's preseason finale. I remember last year Barry Gardner tore his ACL in this game, I really wanted to see what that guy could've done on the team.

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I'm pretty sure Gardner broke his leg. I agree with you, he was a loss.

My take on this is that I hope the following players don't even put on a uniform:

Brady
Moss
Welker
Maroney
Faulk
All of the starting 5, except maybe Kaczur
All of the Big Three
All of the top 5 LBs
Harrison
Sanders
Wilson
Hobbs
Gay

I fully expect Samuel to play significant minutes, if only as a mildly poke in his direction but also because he could use a tune up.

Many of them may not even be there, according to Peter King's last Monday Morning Quarterback:

"Some teams, like New England, will quite literally dress only enough rookies and young scrubs to make it through the game, giving 28 or so regulars the night off entirely. (Watch the Patriot sideline Thursday night in Foxboro. It'll look like the sideline at a Montana six-man football game. You'll say, "Hey, where is everybody?'' And everybody you've ever heard of will be in Back Bay, having dinner with the family on a peaceful night off.)"

If I remember correctly, hardly any starters saw action in last year's preseason finale. I remember last year Barry Gardner tore his ACL in this game, I really wanted to see what that guy could've done on the team.

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I was at that game, at the Meadowlands. When Michael Strahan got hurt, all I could hear was one Giants fan yelling, "Why is he even in the game?"

Although there is risk, I really think our starting OL needs some more reps, hopefully with Cassell as the QB, not Brady.

I also want to see more of Rivers at TE. How is it that a guy that couldn't stick with the Raiders and has looked so good with us thus far? There has to be more to this than playing with real QBs in New England, because he had a chance last year with Brees and blew it. Will the clock strike midnight and this guy turn back into a pumpkin or is he for real.

On defense, I need to see if Meriweather is a player. He has not wowed me thus far although he has been playing a lot of CB.

On defense, I need to see if Meriweather is a player. He has not wowed me thus far although he has been playing a lot of CB.

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This is the one I will be watching plus 4-8 carries for Maroney. Merriweather should get some reps at FS, I think we see a replay of 2003, if Wilson can't go Sanders will get the nod and quickly be replaced by Merriweather. Similar to the whole Milloy, Wilson, Antwan Harris fiasco.

It's not just the inept announcers but somehow the Channel 5 technical staff cannot manage to sync sound and picture. HDTV has been around for over 5 years now. Get a clue people. It's not rocket science.